


Cupid

by amreuse



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: 4+1 Things, Alternate Universe - High School, Childhood Friends, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Hockey, M/M, Pining, mention of injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-14 20:14:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28676511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amreuse/pseuds/amreuse
Summary: Mark is really a loser, a loser with a middle school crush on his childhood friend.orFour times Mark fails to confess his feelings to his best friend Jeno, one time he doesn't.
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Lee Donghyuck | Haechan, Lee Jeno/Mark Lee
Comments: 13
Kudos: 72





	Cupid

Mark chuckles a lot.   
He chuckles when he's nervous. He chuckles when he's panicking. He chuckles when he’s nervously panicking — if that even is a thing.   
For his friends it is. Renjun and Donghyuck have hella fun assigning names to his different kinds of chuckles. For Mark, it's not that deep. He knows he chuckles maybe a bit more than average people, he won't deny it, but it's not _weird_. Whenever Mark tried to defend himself, they'd always reply with things like, "Denial is the first step, Mark!" or, “That's what they all say."  
But you can't argue with Thing One and Thing Two (that's what he likes to call them without them knowing — they'd end him if they were to find out!). So he gave up trying to make his couple — literally— of best friends name his chuckles with whatever they thought could be an appropriate name. To this day, some he can quote are: "The Rollercoaster Laugh", "The Hyena", "Inspired by Ace Ventura" (don't ask) and the "Loser". He tolerates the last one — it's the only name that makes enough sense and Mark is also kind of a loser, so he'll take it. At least Renjun and Donghyuck find him entertaining.

So, yeah, Mark really hates his best friends.   
Well, except one.

He met Jeno when he was five, on the ice rink. That's where you could say their friendship grew up, just like them: on the ice. Their dads were friends from high school where they played hockey together, and they are both really traditional guys. Therefor, Jeno and Mark met because their parents wanted to teach them both how to skate.

From then, it’s all history.   
Mark and Jeno going to the ice rink every weekend. Mark and Jeno signing up for the junior hockey team back in primary school. Mark and Jeno buying skates for each other on their tenth birthdays. Mark and Jeno ditching their skiing camp with the school to play hockey. That one time the river froze over and they had the stupid idea to attempt skating on it but the ice cracked under Mark, and although his dad got him before he could go completely underwater, Mark was glued to his bed with the worst cold of his life for the next three days. Jeno stayed by his side, as the best friend he was — and still is — and that's when they were thirteen and Mark remembers thinking the fever was making him a little crazy because Jeno's eyes looked filled with stars.  
Mark and Jeno this, Mark and Jeno that!

They are now in high school. Jeno is the star player of the town's under eighteen hockey team and Mark has been doomed to just watch the team play because of a knee injury that's taking longer than it should to heal. Oh, and Mark is also completely in love with Jeno now. Wether it was the fever or not, Mark has started seeing stars in Jeno’s eyes, sparkles in his smile and maybe he's cheesy but time stops when Jeno walks towards him. 

Although he misses playing and the doctor says he can start skating again, but will have to sit through the next season, he's okay with it. He's okay because he can still go skating with Jeno, and he's okay with staying on the bench even for the next season because it's only junior year and if things go well, he'll be back on that rink for the spring championship. He's even okay with Renjun and Donghyuck pestering him about his crush every given second of the day. What counts the most for him is that he can play in senior year, _and_ being with Jeno. 

For Mark, every instant spent with Jeno is worth all the knee injuries in the world, and he's not trying to jinx it because he really wants to get back to playing, but if he can be with Jeno, that's enough. Mark talks about hanging out with him like it never happens, not like they live two blocks away and are life long best friends! Haha! Not at all. Mark is really a loser, a loser with a middle school crush on his childhood friend.

"You like him so much it makes you look stupid,” Renjun says, taking a seat in front of his boyfriend.

"False, Renjun,” Donghyuck retorts sneakily, "he _is_ stupid."

"So much for the support guys! Thank you,” Mark sighs, pouty.

Renjun and Donghyuck try to calm their laughter, looking at their friend slouching on the table.

"C'mon Mark! You know we love you."

"Yeah, yeah, sure." He plops his head in his arms and brushes them off with a wave of his hand.

He does know. And he loves them too, contrary to popular belief. He’s just a bit sad because Jeno had to call absent to their weekly hang out, for the first time in months, because of a tutoring session. He said it's a one time thing, and it's definitely not something for Mark to get sad over, but he can't help it. He hasn't seen Jeno in a while since school started again.

"It's been a week, Mark!" Donghyuck speaks while chewing on a mouthful of pasta.

"Hyuck, gross! Shut your mouth!" Renjun says, kicking him under the table, to which the boy replies with an insult. Then, Renjun turns around to look at Mark and the elder wishes he hadn't looked up because Renjun has The Look on his face and Mark suddenly wants to disappear.

"He's right, Mark! Just one week without seeing him and you're in this state!" 

"You're not Jeno dependent and it shows,” he huffs. 

"Of course he's not Jeno dependent! He's Hyuck dependent and he loves it!” Donghyuck grins, this time after swallowing his food and Renjun coos at him. Mark thinks they are way too disgustingly sweet to be boyfriends of three years.

Sometimes it's like they never got out of the honeymoon phase. Although, right now, Mark is too glad to be grossed out: Donghyuck just saved him from hearing Renjun probably go on and on about how he should find a way to stop looking so miserably whipped for Jeno. He can’t help it — he loves his best friend, and Mark loves him platonically before anything, the romantic feelings come second. He would still be in the same state if he hadn't seen Jeno for a week even if he wasn't in love with him.

But who is he kidding, going to different schools isn't the best, especially when you're in love with your best friend.

"We should have a sleep over tonight!" Renjun exclaims.

Mark actually doesn't think of it as a bad idea, at all. If he can't hang out with Jeno on Friday he has two other best friends — although more annoying — to spend his Friday evening with. Their sleepovers are always fun, wether it's a study night, game night or movie night, Mark enjoys spending time with them. Thing One and Thing Two are the best in the game when it comes to cheering him up (although he'll never tell them — it'd be over for him if they were to find out!)

"Yeah sure." He says, finally showing a smile. 

Donghyuck beams. "Renjun look at that!!!! He's smiling! You made him smile!!!" Mark shoves him but that doesn't stop Donghyuck from cheering loudly at his smile, as if he had just won the championship trophy.

So, yeah, Mark actually loves his best friends.  
All three of them.

***

"Mark, you really should do something about it!"

"What?" He looks up from his book, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Uh? Confess, duh!” Donghyuck says, _as if_ it was obvious. Mark rolls his eyes.

"Yeah and what then? Get rejected and ruin a sixteen-years-long friendship? I'll pass!"

"Mark I swear I'm willing to pay! It's not hard, just...tell him you like him and that's it!" Renjun insists, "You need to get it out or something. You've been keeping those feelings inside for seventeen years!"

"And I plan on doing so for seventeen more, if I have to!" He closes his book, before sitting up on the bed. "I know I sound like a wimp for this but there's no way I'm going to willingly risk our friendship."

"You don't know that, Mark...I mean look at me and Hyuck! It took us some time, but now we're together and our sixteen years worth of friendship did not get ruined!" Renjun says, smiling and eyeing his boyfriend lovingly, who looks back at him just the same.

"But it’s different for you two!"

"And how's that?" Donghyuck asks, finally turning off the PlayStation.

"You are gremlins who were made for each other, if you didn't date one another, no one else would!” He sighs.

"I beg your pardon?!" Renjun exclaims. 

The next thing Mark registers is a pillow in his face and he finds himself suffocating under Donghyuck's weight.

"We are not playing two lies one truth, Mark!"

  
It escalates into a pillow fight and loud laughter, and maybe Mark doesn't hate his best friends at all, but he's sure they're not a good example to follow.

Once Donghyuck, who can't stand tickling, calls for a truce, they all lay down on the floor, looking up at the ceiling. They’re quiet, but all three can feel the others' happiness filling the room. And Mark thinks, Mark thinks this is what being alive feels like and he loves it, Mark thinks he's ran away from things for long enough, Mark thinks he's done chickening out. So, right there, euphoric on his bedroom floor, he decides to give it a try.

"How much?" Mark suddenly asks.

"How much what?" His friends reply in unison.

"How much are you willing to give me if I...ask Jeno out?" He continues, shyly.

"You're actually considering it?!" Renjun jumps to his feet, grinning.

"I'm n...maybe...I just have no idea where to start."

Renjun and Donghyuck start hugging, jumping around the room as they scream and for goodness' sake, they are weird. It's crazy how little things like this seem to make them as happy as Mark is whenever his team wins a game. They actually look exactly like two players celebrating their victory, hugging and jumping around the room like that.

Mark doesn't really know why he's taking up on Renjun's offer. I mean this is a thing he shouldn’t be doing just for money, although he'd probably never find the courage for it, in exchange for money or not. Maybe the idea of blaming it on Renjun if things went wrong reassured him. If Jeno rejected him, he could just get away with it by saying Renjun made him do it, and that he didn't _actually_ mean it. He'd be heartbroken, yes, but at least not embarrassed. And he could keep his friendship with Jeno intact. Yeah...that sounded like a good getaway plan.

They settle on the conditions. Mark has five weeks to try and confess to Jeno, and if he manages to confess — no matter the outcome — he has a fifty dollar budget at his favorite hockey shop, which is great because Mark was in need of new equipment. As he's convinced he will get rejected, that sounds like a decent consolation prize.

They end the night in front of a movie — that Mark obviously can’t keep up with (too busy thinking about Jeno). Donghyuck is long gone, passed out drooling in Renjun's lap. It's as if Renjun can read his thoughts, he's always been strangely good at that.

"It’s normal to be scared about it Mark, but I'm glad you're still doing it. You can't let this chance slip, you really don't want that for yourself." He gives him a little smile before turning back to the TV. Mark makes a mental note to give Renjun his Pride and Prejudice DVD because he surely likes it more than he does.  
Now, he has to come up with a plan.

***

The first time, Mark feels like he might faint.

He wants this to be casual and to happen naturally. So he decides on confessing to Jeno the next time they meet for their weekly Friday hang outs. It's been exactly a week since that sleep over at his house, which means the five weeks limit is down to four, now.

Mark is terrified.  
He's standing outside Jeno's house, biting his nails. They planned on going to McDonald's and to the movies and maybe Mark will end up sleeping over at Jeno's — which happens often, and Mark adores it.  
Although, now that he's waiting, he doesn't want it to happen. He's so scared, he feels almost dizzy and his hands are sweaty and he might just faint and-

"Mark!"

Jeno's familiar voice rings in his ears as Mark feels two arms wrap around him and a chest press against his own, and all his worries fly away. Although Jeno makes him crazy, he also makes him feel safe, and he'll forever be the person Mark feels the most comfortable around. Which this time, is the reason he enjoys the time with Jeno. He enjoys it so much that the night flies by, carrying away with it Mark's motivation of confessing his feelings. He only remembers about it the next day, long after he got home. Just like that, he has four Fridays left.

***

The second time, Mark asks for Renjun's help.

Renjun's the best person he could find to help him, and he at least owes him that. The plan this time is to go to the Luna Park and confess on the ferris wheel. 

"You couldn't go with something cheesier?" Mark groans.

"You're welcome for helping, Mark! I'll let you go get your boy now!" 

Mark is nervous, more than the first time. Not only is this a perfect occasion so he really _can't_ mess it up, he's now also afraid of forgetting again. And Jeno looks absolutely breathtaking. Mark means it when he says time stops whenever he sees Jeno. In a blink of an eye, they've been at the amusement park for two hours already, and neither feel tired enough to think about leaving. Mark forgot how much he loved those, and how much Jeno did. He's had the biggest grin on his face for the entire evening and Mark feels like he's looking at ten year old Jeno. He hasn't had this much fun in ages, and he thinks again that this is life. The feeling that took over him the night of the sleepover takes over him once again and that's when he's reminded of why he's there. 

  
They head to the ferris wheel finally, and Mark tries to find the courage to hold Jeno's hand, but he's beat to it by the younger.

"C'mon Mark! Let's go!" He drags him there, Mark completely unable to make his brain function.

He feels twelve again — they had spent his birthday party at that Winter themed amusement park (who cares if it was summer!). Mark was so in awe of everything he saw and Jeno was so excited about trying everything out with his best friend that he dragged him around, attraction to attraction, never ending happiness spilling from their hearts. 

Back then, they both thought the ferris wheel was the most boring attraction. Now, here they are, five years later, and looking at the city's lights from the top of the wheel feels like the best thing ever. Mark's hands are still in Jeno's, and his heart is thumping in his chest — it almost jumps out when Jeno rests his head on his shoulder. For the rest of the night, Mark feels at peace. They talk, catch up on their weeks, remember the younger days and Mark wants to stay like this forever.

 _Uh oh_.

***

"You forgot? What do you mean you forgot?!" Donghyuck stands up, slamming his hands on the table. Renjun has done nothing but sigh.

"I..forgot! I don't know what you want me to say?" Mark stutters.

"You were on the ferris wheel and you just forgot to confess your feelings?” 

"Exactly! Guys.." Mark sighs, "I don't think you understand, when I'm with Jeno time and space don't exist! It's just us and the rest of the world completely disappears and I forget about all my worries and just focus on him and...I just forgot." He shrugs.

"Mark...you're such a loser, that's so romantic!" Renjun says, patting his shoulder. Mark is quite confused about his reaction but he's mostly worried about Donghyuck right now.

He's been walking back and forth in the room, he looks like he's thinking. And thinking does not look good on Lee Donghyuck.

"Yes...that's very cute Mark...but it leaves us no other choice." Donghyuck looks at Renjun.

"What choice?" 

Renjun sighs, "Really Donghyuck? Do you really think we have to?"

"It's the only way, Junnie.”

"Guys, what the fuck are you two talking about?" Mark's eyes go from Donghyuck to Renjun and then back to Donghyuck again. He has a bad feeling about this.

***

The third time, Renjun and Donghyuck are hiding behind the bleachers.

Every once in a while, Mark and Jeno go skating together. They used to do it every week, but since Mark decided that he wants to make sure he can play for the spring hockey tournament, they reduced their skating meetings to once per month.  
Renjun and Donghyuck knew about it, and since Mark seems to forget about his goal, it would be the perfect location for them to be there and make sure Mark did what he was supposed to do, without looking weird if they followed them around. 

Mark takes back what he said, he really hates them.

Mark should forget about it and enjoy his time skating with Jeno, the two things he loves the most. But no, not only can't he seem to ignore their presence, but Renjun and Donghyuck don't seem like they want to make him forget either: whenever he skates near their hiding spot, he can hear a little cough, or one of them whispering "remember" which feels awfully scary.  
But it works because all Mark can think about is confessing his feelings. It feels realer than ever and his mind is racing because he simply can't think about how to do that. Him and Jeno take a little break, sitting on the ice, and while Jeno speaks, Mark doesn't listen. This seems like the perfect moment to tell him, so perfect he fears Renjun and Donghyuck might jump out of their spot to shout at him to confess. But Mark has no idea how.   
What is he supposed to say: "Hey, I like you, wanna be my boyfriend"? "Hey I've been in love with you since we were ten"? "I see you as more than a friend please don't reject me or I will cry"?

"Date me!” He blurts out, interrupting Jeno. 

He has no clue where that came from, why the fuck did he say that out loud? Which spirit possessed him? Mark doubts that was confidence, or determination or _whatever_!  
He's as surprised of himself as Jeno is, probably.   
Mark starts panicking as the younger boy's face drops and his eyebrows quirk up in confusion. _Way to go, Mark!_  
It was obviously not the right moment and Mark was definitely not ready for his mouth to fail him like that. He hopes his brain works fast enough to fill the silence before Jeno does.

"I'm just playing, hahah, I didn't mean to say that." He looks away, cheeks red. Now, there's two boys hiding behind the bleachers that would gladly prove that wrong. He hopes they don't come out to hit Mark in the head, even if it might do everyone a favour.

If there's something Renjun's and Donghyuck's plan could have never prepared him for, it's what came next. 

He looks back to Jeno, ready to come up with any credible excuse that could get him out of this mess, but his mouth hangs open, words stuck in his throat. Jeno is grinning. The Jeno Grin with a capital "G", moon crescent eyes, and all. Mark's favourite thing in the whole _wide_ world!   
"I didn't know you listened to Ryan Beatty, Mark! That’s so cool!"

Now _what the fuck_?

It's what Renjun and Donghyuck call the "Inspired by Ace Ventura" chuckle that breaks the silence. It's Mark's awkward, nervous, "I'm pretending I have this under control" chuckle. Which he doesn't, by the way.

"Haha...Yeah...Didn't know you listened to him too?" He stutters out, scratching the back of his head.

"I do! I absolutely love his music. Mark, you really are the best!"

And what, to Mark, is a failed third attempt at confessing his feelings, is to Jeno him reciting lyrics of a song he never heard, by an artist he didn't know existed! Although, he might need to listen to him if those are lyrics to his song, and if Jeno likes his music.   
Now he has a bump on his head because of how hard Donghyuck smacked him, and only two Fridays left to confess.

***

The fourth time, Mark thinks it's the right one.

It's one of his last chances.   
Over the weeks, Mark noticed this wasn't about the money anymore, about having an excuse to do it: it simply became about doing it,  
about jumping in, head first, whatever the outcome would be and telling Jeno how he felt. He had completely forgotten about the precautions he used to take, to protect his friendship, to protect his heart...he didn't care anymore. He just wanted to let Jeno know. He doesn't know where this determination came from, but if Renjun and Donghyuck planted it in him, if they enabled it, he's really thankful for that. He thinks he'll confess no matter what now, doing it during the period of time Renjun and Donghyuck set for him might be just a bonus, and he intends to succeed.  
Jeno is his first love, and Mark really wants him to be his last too, but he doesn't know. That's up to whoever plans those things, up there — if Jeno likes him or not, or if he ever will.  
Mark just doesn't want to ruin this chance, he wants to live it. And he can't live it if he's hiding it deep down inside of him.

This time, him and Jeno have nothing planned in particular. They're just going to hang out at Mark's, play games, maybe climb to the roof and stargaze like in the old days. Mark really wants to, he feels like that'll be the perfect moment.

He's interrupted by his phone ringing, Jeno's name appearing on the screen.

"Jen?"

"Hey Mark...I'm sorry...something came up last minute and...I can't make it tonight." 

Mark can feel a point of sadness in Jeno's voice, and he feels it in his too when he replies that it's okay, that they can reschedule for this weekend.

"I can't either. I have that camping thing with my dad this weekend, and I'm pretty much busy all week. But I'll see you next week! Right?"

"Of course, Jen. See you next Friday."

"Bye Mark, love you!"

"Love you too." Mark replies before Jeno hangs up.

And just like that, his fourth Friday flops and he has only one left.

***

The fifth time, Mark has kind of lost hope.

He still plans to do it, and he tells himself that if he fails, well, that's okay. He won't get those fifty dollars from Renjun and Donghyuck, but he'll still plan a way to confess to Jeno. He settled with that.   
Now, trying one last time won't hurt, right?

Jeno invited Mark at his to stay the night, in an attempt to make it up to him for the previous week. He doesn't know there's nothing to make up for, but Mark doesn't mind so he doesn't tell him. They watch Spider-Man for the three-hundred-and-twenty-fourth time (or something like that, Mark kind of lost count), and they lay in bed together. It's past midnight but neither of them think of sleeping, they keep on talking because they always have so much to say. That's one of the reasons why Mark loves being with Jeno so much, they never run out of things to talk about. If Mark had to go on a deserted island and had to bring only three things, he'd pick Jeno first, no doubts. 

"Mark, is everything ok?" Jeno turns around to lay on his side, facing Mark.

"Huh...? Yeah, yeah of course. Why?" He can't make out Jeno's expression in the dark.

"Nothing...it's just...These last weeks, it looked like something was on your mind."

"Oh that..." Mark chuckles, "Yeah, I guess I had a handful of things to worry about, you know...school and all that."

Jeno lets out a breathy chuckle as well, "Of course."

He goes quiet after that and Mark wonders if Jeno can hear his thoughts, because they're really loud inside his head. This is his perfect moment, this is his chance.

"Jeno?"

"Mmh?" 

Mark gulps. "I need to tell you something, but...promise you won't interrupt me until the very end?"

Mark can hear Jeno's smile in his voice when he answers "I promise," in a whisper and his heart skips a beat.

"I really...God, I don't know how to say this," Mark chuckles nervously again (it's the "Loser" chuckle). "I've been waiting to tell you for a while that...I really like you." He takes a breath. "Like, haha, I like you as a person, and like... _romantically_ , you know? Fuck, I'm sorry I'm making this so awkward right now, but I don't know how to say this, and I've been trying to confess to you for like...The past five weeks? I guess...I just...like you so so much, as in more than friends...and it's been going on for quite some time, I don't want to scare you but like I think I might even be in love an-"

He gasps when a pair of lips awkwardly press against his. It's short and clumsy and intimate but Jeno just shut him up by kissing him and Mark's pretty sure that's a good thing. At least he hopes so.

"I like you too, Markie," Jeno says. After a very short time, but that's totally okay. With what Jeno just said — wow, Mark is still trying to process if he heard right — he's pretty sure they'll have more time for kissing later.

"Y-you do?"

Jeno nods, "I do." Mark knows him well enough to know he's grinning and his eyes are closed up in moon crescents.

"You do? Wow,” Mark says in a breath, genuinely surprised. It's not really clicking in his brain. "I-I mean..I'm so glad...like really I feel so happy right now. I just can't believe it."

Jeno giggles. "Mark, you're adorable. I like you so much."

"I like you so much too Jen, I really liked you for so long! Renjun and Donghyuck had to convince me to...tell you or like...I probably would have never done it, you know? I just didn't think it could happen."

"I would've told you, if you didn't."

"Really?" Mark asks.

Jeno nods, the fabric rustling against his head, "Really."

"Wow...I'm so happy Jeno...C-can we..."

"Yeah?”

"Can we kiss again?" Mark murmurs, shyly. He feels his cheeks warming up.

Jeno doesn't answer, he acts.   
So they kiss again, and in between Mark finds a way to tell Jeno the story of the past five weeks, of his four failed attempts before tonight. 

"You're a bit of a loser, you know that?" Jeno says with a chuckle, Mark doesn't care because yes, he is! The look he can barely distinguish in Jeno's eyes is enough to make him melt and he's just happy with that.

"Yeah...Renjun and Donghyuck tell me _all_ the time." He sighs and Jeno smiles back. Mark can see it even in the dark. Their breaths tangle together, along with their legs and arms and entire bodies, cuddled against each other. Because it feels right.

"They're not wrong,” Jeno adds. 

Mark goes to reach for his hand under the blanket. He laces their fingers together and holds it tight because right now, he never wants Jeno to leave. Holding his hand seems enough for it to be like that forever.

"Yeah...but you know, they say it's because I like you a lot...they said it made me look stupid. Or whatever." 

Jeno throws his head back in laughter. Mark can't seem to stop staring at him, although all he can trace is his silhouette. They’re still chest to chest and Mark doesn't really know what to say, he just looks at Jeno's neck as he feels his own ribcage shake because of the other's laughter.  
Once Jeno has stopped laughing, he repeats — in a softer voice this time, "They're not wrong." 

He leans closer, and Mark can’t tell wether he says the next words in his mouth or on his lips — he hears them in his mind as if Jeno had put them there telepathically. They ring in his head and Mark feels infinite right now.

"But you look cute like that."

They kiss again and Mark believes he doesn't need to breathe anymore. Not when he could be doing this. Sharing saliva with the boy he liked for as long as he can remember...Okay, saying it like that makes it sound gross, but Mark doesn't care. Not a tiny bit.  
He groans a little when Jeno pulls away, because he really doesn't want him to.

"I'm glad you didn't notice how stupid I looked because I like you.” Jeno says, pointing his finger at Mark's chest.

And just like that, things fit where they always were meant to, and Mark can't do anything but keep that stupid grin on his face.

**Author's Note:**

> once again big thank u to my beta and to anyone who read!!! i hope you enjoyed it :D
> 
> [my twitter](https://twitter.com/tzuyuzn)  
> [my curiouscat](https://curiouscat.qa/tzuyuzn)


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